Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1376 to 1400 of 1795 results

Proverbs 31:1-9

Drama

Julia Ross Strope

... time. Reader 1: All I can remember are “don’ts.” Reader 2: My favorite list was probably written by a city leader in Palestine, maybe 2,500 years ago! The church has usually used it to keep women in line. It’s written in a positive style — an acrostic on the Hebrew alphabet so everyone, especially boys, memorized it saying, “A good wife is hard to find....” Reader 3: Yeah? Recite it for us. Reader 1: Is this going to help me feel less lonely? Reader 2: It might guide your search for friends ...

1377. Talking Dog

Humor Illustration

A guy is driving around the back woods of Montana and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: Talking Dog For Sale. He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there. "You talk?" he asks. "Yep," the Lab replies. After the guy recovers from ...

1378. God's Gift

Jeremiah 33:1-26

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... of gifts, to be sure, cut out or drawn and colored and painted, nailed and hammered, and pasted and sewed. But they were presents, luxurious beyond our dreams....” Peter’s gift to his parents was a crayon drawing of flashy colors in the most modernistic style of the Depression era. It was the picture of three people laughing — a man, a woman, and a little boy. They had their arms around one another and were, in a sense, one person. Under the picture Pete had printed one word: US.1 The prophet ...

1379. Strength through Diversity

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... We have all heard the expression "Diversity is the spice of life." I think we can all verify the reality of this statement. Picture a world where all people looked, spoke, acted, and thought alike. It would be like entering a shoe store and finding only one style or going to a car dealership that offered only one make or model of automobile or finding only one brand of cereal or bread in the grocery store. Simply put, life would be boring and certainly less than satisfying. Yet, as is evidenced by the story ...

1380. Don’t Compromise Your Beliefs

Galatians 1:1-10

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... deterred, nor were his supporters. Bryan ran again in 1900, but again was unsuccessful. He was unwilling to change his message to suit others. Despite his failure to win the presidency, the fame of William Jennings Bryan grew. His speeches and oratorical style became legendary. He traveled throughout the nation to promote the policies for which he stood. In 1904, Bryan established a newspaper that advocated many progressive causes in promotion of the social question, which was a front page issue at the time ...

1381. The Utmost Patience for the Foremost Sinner

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... in 1 Timothy is an honest reflection on sinfulness. First Timothy is one of those books that New Testament scholars have trouble with. We are not sure if 1 Timothy was actually written by Paul. The ideas in the letter do not sound like Paul. The writing style is different. Some scholars think that one of Paul's students may have written it in Paul's name. Why would someone do that? We see a kind of modern-day parallel in the practice of United Methodist Bishop Woodie White, who writes an open letter every ...

1382. To God Be The Glory!

Isaiah 60:1-6

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... of the Lord shines within us! III. God's Glory Radiates Outside (Isaiah 60:6b) Living near Lake Michigan for nearly a quarter of a century allowed me to observe lighthouses from Chicago's shores to "Big Red" in Holland, Michigan. No matter the architectural style, shape, color, or design, the purpose of all lighthouses is to send out the light! With our hearts throbbing and swelling with God's glory, we will radiate like lighthouses through the dark waters on which spiritual vessels sail. We will send out ...

1383. The ABC's of Grief

Lamentations 1:1-6

Sermon

Chrysanne Timm

... we depart from Jeremiah for a week to explore a text from Lamentations about the condition of the city of Jerusalem. There were some who formerly believed that Lamentations was also written by Jeremiah, but detailed study of the text shows few, if any, parallels in style or vocabulary with the book of Jeremiah. It may be that Lamentations was a communal effort, a collection of poetry attempting to console the anguish of a people and their beloved city. The year is 586 BC. The siege is over, the enemy ...

1384. Help From Habakkuk?

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... is all fine and good, and we claim to want more of it, if it will help us get healing for ourselves or a loved one. Faith is "cool" if it will help us pass a test or meet a deadline. But we don't want it to cramp our style or our lifestyle. The truth of the matter is that many people only want an inoculation of Christianity — just enough of it to protect them from catching the real thing. However, the faith Jesus calls us to, and the sort of faith that endures and leads to life — real life ...

1385. Luke 3:1-6

Luke 3:1-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Luke’s presentation of the “good news” is often cited as the most literary of the four gospels. Its narrative style, scope and portrayal of Jesus’ life are presented as a great unfolding story. Luke tells the “greatest story ever told,” both by presenting the grand scheme of God’s work and witness, and by paying attention to distinctive details of the time and place and persons. It is this attention ...

1386. Be a Bethany

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

We never truly appreciate “home-grown,” or “home-style”,” “home-spun” or “down home” until “home” is in our rear view mirror. For college students, Mom’s meatloaf suddenly take on a whole new luster after a semester of college cafeteria food. A burger from McDonald’s, a Pizza Hut pie, or some KFC, tastes like heaven after an ...

1387. Can you Hear “The Voice?”

John 5:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... chosen singers. Even as they are pitting their favorite “picks” against each other, these celebrity coaches are encouraging these singers to find their own voice. To make the song they are singing their OWN song, no matter who wrote it, no matter what its style. Coaching voices to find and claim ownership of a single song is catnip to a TV audience. Coaching every new generation of Christ’s disciples to hear Jesus’ voice in every activity and attitude of our lives, to hear Jesus in every song we ...

1388. The Dirt on Jesus

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... ” might be, they are still “stuff.” Richard Meier, in his first collection of poetry entitled Misadventure (2012), has a poem called “Sky Sports” in which the gods “who can see feelings” watch us on our planet splatting each other paint-ball-style with projected envy, greed, lust, etc., marveling all the while “at this deft/gift of ours for shifting misery/that makes such great viewing.” In today’s gospel text parable Jesus makes it all too clear how “life” and “stuff” are ...

1389. Discerning In Love

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... rest on one individual but on the power of God, “with a demonstration of the Spirit.” As soon as Paul left Corinth other more polished, flashy speakers came and won a following among the people. It was then that Paul’s preaching style as well as his message was criticized. With humility Paul acknowledged his own shortcomings and inadequacies. When he first spoke he did so with fear and trembling. Paul preached “nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Paul understood the danger ...

1390. Lost, But Not the TV Show!

Luke 15:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... Digest. 2. Lance Webb, How Bad Are Your Sins? (Nashville: Abington Press, 1955). 3. Pastor Robert Barnett, http://faithepchurch.org/files/Documents/Sermons/08-09-09%20Good%20Enough%20for%20God.pdf. 4. Rev. Dr. John W. Yates II, http://www.thefallschurch.org/templates/custhefalls/details.asp?id=29455&PID=233349&Style=.

1391. Who Wants to Be Your Brother?

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... divine bookkeeping that these critics of Jesus kept, the very fact that the rich man was blessed with wealth and with social acceptance, and with comfort and power, were all tangible signs of God’s approval and acceptance, both of his life and life-style. The fact that Lazarus was poor was not a judgment. But his physical disabilities were calculated as an indictment. Illness and infirmity were read as signs of God’s judgment. In the first century any type of skin disease was grouped into the general ...

1392. You Never Noticed

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... knew God and was known by God. His very name, Lazarus, means God is my Help or Helper. “By naming Lazarus and not the rich man, Jesus’ story completely contrasts with worldly understandings of who’s who,” writes Sarah K. Bunge. “As was his style, Jesus reminds us that heaven is the opposite of this world in many respects, especially when it comes to rating an individual’s worth in society.” Ms. Bunge asked her high-schoolers to name some rich people in our society. “Bill Gates, Donald Trump ...

1393. On the Road with Jesus

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

David O. Bales

... model our life upon him. Our task is to take Jesus with us into our homes and families, into our businesses and schools, into the neighborhood where people work and where children play and where tragedies and suffering occurs. This much we know about Jesus’ style: If we won’t take him to these places and to these people, he’ll show up there anyway. 1. The verb is in the passive voice, which I take as a “theological” or “divine” passive where the subject of the verb is not expressed, implying ...

1394. Framed, Changed, Challenged

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Tony Everett

... ). It was the attitudes and behavior of these Christians that God used to get the respect and goodwill of the people. It wasn’t three-step strategies or free camel rides. It wasn’t fancy greeter badges or even changes in worship style that did it. Folks simply saw behaviors change, generosity flow, and attitudes improve. Then the Lord (not a committee) drew them into this growing community of changed people. Then, together they learned the Jesus story, shared the fellowship, broke some bread, and prayed ...

1395. Appetites and Desires

Romans 7:7-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of the Messiah, was discharged and dismissed for being some kind of aesthetic weirdo — living in the wilderness, living off locusts and wild honey, baptizing people in the river, not fitting in with the first century dress code. He too, was “wrong.” Both life-styles of fasting and feasting were refused and rebuked by the mainstream. In the Pauline text, his letter to the Roman Christians, the apostle’s lament was about how much he wanted to do something better than what he did every day. Paul, the ...

1396. The Parable of the Careless Farmer

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... Bob is his own lord. Bob is the king of his own life. He gets turned off by preaching that quotes too much from the Bible. He wants comforting talk about psychology. He wants no mention of sin from the pulpit. According to him, “That went out of style with the middle ages.” Bob gets turned off by anything that might take him out of his comfort zone as a Bob worshipper. You see, for Bob going to church is like an inoculation for a contagious disease he wants just enough religion to keep him from catching ...

1397. Daddy, I'm Afraid

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... praises of that great city. “New York has everything,” he said to Jeske. “It’s the greatest city in the world.” So Jeske asked: “What do you like best about it?” And his friend said: “Freedom. Freedom to be yourself. Freedom to choose the life-style you want; no one looking over your shoulder. Freedom to eat where you want and to dress as you like and to think what you want to think. Freedom.” Jeske was impressed. However, after this New York friend said all this about being free he closed ...

1398. Ignite: Set On Fire!

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... and entertainment would be Billy Graham. Of all the stories I’ve ever heard about Dr. Graham, probably my favorite is the time when he was going to a certain city to do one of his crusades. There were some critics who didn’t particularly care for either his style or his methods. They didn’t want him to come. They called a press conference and said, “If we let that man come to our city and preach his message he will set the church back fifty years.” That got back to Dr. Graham who smiled and said ...

1399. Ignite: Fire Extinguishers

Acts 15:1-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... worth being honest enough to say, “You go your way and will we have to go ours.” Another one might be women serving as senior pastors of a church. That is a dividing point and a legitimate dividing point. Then there are the things we debate such as style of worship, musical preferences, etc. Nothing wrong with have differences of opinion and feeling strongly about those opinions, but those are not hills to die on or walls to divide. I guess I can best illustrate it with this story of a man who on a trip ...

1400. Up Close & Personal: Seeing Clearly

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

James Merritt

... . The category is “Smarter Than A 5th Grader.” Remember – you have to put your answer in the form of a question. The answer is “By consensus the most brilliant person of the Twentieth Century.” Good luck. [Pastor’s Note: A “Jeopardy-style” PowerPoint slide is included in your sermon support materials for this illustration. You may also want to use the “Jeopardy-thinking” music, which is available for download from iTunes.] So your answer – Who is Albert Einstein? That is correct. I don ...

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